Punjab vs Bangalore, 25th Match

That is all from us here. Join us for the double header tomorrow. This is Sid V saying good bye with Shashreek, Karthik, Srivathsa, Sriram and Kiran. Shubh Ratri!

Presentation Ceremony:

Gayle: The wicket was good to bat on. It was a tough job for us after we lost some quick wickets. AB gave me good company and I am happy that Bangalore have won two games on the trot. I am glad that no one got hurt today. I agree with the fact that people and umpires must wear some protective gear so that they suffer no harm. Thanks to Tia (the girl in the crowd whose nose was broken in the match against Pune thanks to one of the sixes hit by Gayle), I got another medal and I hope she is doing well at the hospital. We need not panic and we have to play calmly. Anything can happen in this tournament and I am looking forward to the game against Rajasthan.

Chris Gayle is the MoM for his 87 off 56 balls.

David Hussey: We were 10 runs short. Azhar Mahmood got us back into the game with some good hits. There are a lot of positives in the game. Awana was very good and Mahmood is a good addition to the team.

Vettori: Chris and AB are experienced players and we got a lot of confidence from the previous game. They showed their confidence while batting today. Chris can turn the game around with some big hits and AB can hang in there. We lost three games on the trot, but we are looking to play some good cricket. It is a long tournament and anything can happen.

When Parvinder Awana got three quick wickets, it seemed that it would be a close contest. However, the 131 run stand for the fourth wicket between Chris Gayle and AB de Villiers took the game away from Punjab. Both batsmen played some wonderful cricket and got past their fifties as they helped Bangalore achieve the target. Stay tuned for the presentation.

AB de Villiers: I would have loved to finish the game off. The partnership in the middle overs was crucial. It makes the job easier for us when Gayle is at one end. The run-rate is kept under control. Gayle is a genius. In this format, one has to improvise and to indulge in mind games. This is a big win for us and we are back in the tournament.

19.1 Azhar Mahmood to McDonald, 1 run, full ball angled in on the middle and leg stump, McDonald drives it to long on, 3 needed off 5

Azhar Mahmood [3.0-0-24-0] is back into the attack

4 off 6 balls. It should be easy for Bangalore. However, you never know in this form of the game.

18.6 Chawla to McDonald, 1 run, quicker ball and it skids through straight, McDonald plays away from the body and pushes at it, gets an inside edge that rolls to fine leg, they think about a couple but they settle for a single

18.4 Chawla to Vettori, no run, tossed up delivery just outside off, driven to cover

Daniel Vettori, left handed bat, comes to the crease

18.3 Chawla to de Villiers, out Lbw!! Well, well, well! This makes it interesting. Flatter delivery and it drifts in on the middle and leg stump, de Villiers stays forward and plays inside the line of the delivery, the ball thuds into the front pad and Chawla appeals, the umpire gives it out, that ball was probably going past leg stump. de Villiers lbw b Chawla 52(39) [4s-6]

Chawla to de Villiers, THATS OUT!! Lbw!!

18.2 Chawla to de Villiers, no run, this delivery spins away just outside off, de Villiers taps it to point, McDonald wanted the quick single but de Villiers sends him back, the throw is weak and McDonald is a bit slow in turning back, he dives and gets back in time

18.1 Chawla to McDonald, 1 run, flatter delivery and it keeps a bit low, McDonald works it to deep backward square leg, the throw is wild but they take a single

Piyush Chawla [3.0-0-18-0] is back into the attack

17.6 Awana to McDonald, 1 run, full ball and curling in on the off stump, McDonald looks to work it to the leg side, gets an inside edge onto the pads as it rolls to short mid wicket

17.5 Awana to McDonald, no run, short ball outside off, McDonald defends it to short cover

Andrew McDonald, right handed bat, comes to the crease

17.4 Awana to Gayle, out Caught by David Hussey!! What a catch by David Hussey. Overpitched delivery outside off, Gayle gets underneath it and smashes the cover drive to extra cover, Hussey anticipates it well and he flies to his right, plucks a stunning catch with one hand, Gayle is in a state of shock as he trudges off, ends a fantastic knock from Gayle. Gayle c David Hussey b Awana 87(56) [4s-8 6s-4]

Awana to Gayle, THATS OUT!! Caught!!

17.3 Awana to Gayle, FOUR, Bangalore are coasting here, Awana again bowls a low full toss outside off, Gayle angles the bat and slices it past short third man for another boundary

17.2 Awana to Gayle, SIX, if it is a free-hit, then you can be assured that a maximum is on the cards if Gayle is on strike, short ball on the middle and leg stump, Gayle opens his stance and clobbers it into the stands at deep backward square leg

17.2 Awana to Gayle, no ball, low full toss on the stumps, Gayle bunts it back to the bowler who stops it, Awana may think he is lucky, but to his horror, he has overstepped and it is free-hit time

17.2 Awana to Gayle, wide, short ball but down the leg side, wide given

17.1 Awana to Gayle, FOUR, not a good start for Awana, full ball but wide outside off, Gayle frees his arms and smashes the drive to the wide long off boundary, one bounce over the ropes

Parvinder Awana [3.0-0-17-3] is back into the attack

16.6 Azhar Mahmood to de Villiers, no run, the bouncer that goes high over de Villiers' head, he thinks about the upper cut but backs out of it

16.5 Azhar Mahmood to de Villiers, FOUR, fantastic way to get to his fifty, seventh in this tournament, a low full toss from Mahmood and de Villiers moves to the off side, takes it on the full and reverse sweeps it over short fine leg and to the boundary, de Villiers continues to amaze one and all, Mahmood is in a state of shock, says Ravi Shastri on air

16.4 Azhar Mahmood to de Villiers, no run, low full toss angled in on the middle and leg stump, de Villiers looks to whip it through mid wicket, gets hit on the pads and the ball rolls to the off side

16.3 Azhar Mahmood to de Villiers, 2 runs, short of length slower delivery on the stumps, de Villiers backs away and looks to force it through the off side, gets an inside edge that rolls to fine leg for a couple

16.3 Azhar Mahmood to de Villiers, wide, again de Villiers was making room, Mahmood again follows him with a full ball, de Villiers takes his legs out of the way and lets it go, Saini dives to his left and stops it, he has really kept well today

16.2 Azhar Mahmood to de Villiers, no run, de Villiers backs away to the on side, but Mahmood follows him with a yorker on the middle and leg stump, de Villiers digs it back to the bowler

16.1 Azhar Mahmood to Gayle, 1 run, full ball on the off stump, eased down to long on

Azhar Mahmood [2.0-0-16-0] is back into the attack

Time for the time-out. Sensible batting + Brute force = Chris Gayle. When both these factors combine, it is devastating. Punjab need to send him back to the pavilion. And of course, PK is yet to take a wicket in this edition of the tournament. Punjab have played six matches.

15.6 Praveen Kumar to Gayle, 1 run, pitched up on middle, Gayle drills it to long on, 16 runs in the over, this is looking very easy for Bangalore, Punjab need a miracle

15.6 Praveen Kumar to Gayle, wide, full ball angled across wide outside off, Gayle lets it go and the ball just about crosses over the white line, wide given

15.5 Praveen Kumar to de Villiers, 1 run, the yorker on the middle and leg stump, de Villiers jams it out to mid wicket

15.4 Praveen Kumar to Gayle, 1 run, length ball just outside off, Gayle thumps it hard to long off

15.3 Praveen Kumar to Gayle, SIX, somebody at Panchkula better retrieve the ball because this one is outta here, overpitched delivery just outside off, Gayle launches it well back into the stands at long on

15.2 Praveen Kumar to Gayle, FOUR, PK is lucky that his head is firmly attached to his body, full ball outside off, Gayle blasts it over PK's head and the ball screams away to the long off fence

15.1 Praveen Kumar to de Villiers, 1 run, de Villiers again makes room and PK follows him with a full toss on the pads, whipped to mid wicket

15.1 Praveen Kumar to de Villiers, wide, de Villiers was backing away to the leg side, PK tries to follow him by bowling it onto the pads, he sprays it well down the leg side and de Villiers lets it go, Saini dives to his left and stops it

Praveen Kumar [3.0-0-19-0] is back into the attack

14.6 Chawla to de Villiers, 1 run, this delivery skids on straight just outside off, de Villiers punches it off the back foot to sweeper cover

14.5 Chawla to de Villiers, no run, quicker delivery that skids on after pitching outside off, de Villiers attempts the reverse sweep/reverse hoick, but he misses it and gets hit on the pads, Chawla appeals for an LBW but the impact was outside the line of off stump

14.4 Chawla to Gayle, 1 run, Chawla bowls this delivery quick and on the pads, Gayle easily nudges it to mid wicket, sensible stuff from Gayle

14.3 Chawla to de Villiers, 1 run, flatter delivery outside off, de Villiers turns his wrists nicely and whips it to deep square leg, he fetched that shot from well outside off stump

14.2 Chawla to de Villiers, no run, flatter delivery just outside off, punched to cover where David Hussey misfields slightly, but they do not risk a single

14.1 Chawla to de Villiers, no run, quicker ball and slightly short in length on leg stump, de Villiers bends forward and laps it to short fine, but it goes to the fielder

Piyush Chawla [2.0-0-15-0] is back into the attack

13.6 Harmeet Singh to de Villiers, 1 run, slow and short delivery again on the middle and leg stump, de Villiers mistimes the swat to deep mid wicket, this over has tilted the course of the match towards Bangalore

13.5 Harmeet Singh to de Villiers, 2 runs, this slower delivery is on the middle and leg stump, de Villiers whippily flicks it to the wide long on fence, David Miller dives to his right and stops it from going to the ropes, Mandeep Singh relays the throw and they take a couple

13.4 Harmeet Singh to de Villiers, FOUR, poor line and length from Harmeet, short ball on leg stump, de Villiers just helps it along the way by pulling it to the fine leg fence

13.3 Harmeet Singh to Gayle, 1 run, this slower delivery cuts back in on the middle and leg stump, Gayle nudges it to short fine leg

13.2 Harmeet Singh to Gayle, SIX, awesome shot from Gayle, a high full toss from Harmeet, Gayle stays forward and clobbers it well over the ropes, it thuds into the sightscreen, what power on that shot

13.1 Harmeet Singh to Gayle, no run, short of length ball outside off, Gayle slices the cut but it lands in front of the fielder at backward point

13.1 Harmeet Singh to Gayle, wide, woahh, Harmeet lost control of his leg break there, he fires this full toss wide outside off, Gayle lets it go and Saini dives to his left to stop it, good wicket-keeping

12.6 Azhar Mahmood to de Villiers, FOUR, this is wonderful to watch, full ball on the off stump line, de Villiers bends the back leg and paddles it to fine leg for another boundary

12.5 Azhar Mahmood to de Villiers, FOUR, all class in that shot from de Villiers, the back of the hand slower delivery but he lands it too full just outside off, de Villiers backs away a bit and belts it inside out over extra cover for a boundary

12.4 Azhar Mahmood to Gayle, 1 run, another short ball on leg stump, Gayle again lifts the front leg and short arm jabs it to short fine leg, Harmeet runs in and has a shy at the stumps at the bowler's end but he misses

12.3 Azhar Mahmood to Gayle, 2 runs, short ball and close to the body, Gayle lifts the front leg and pulls it to deep square leg for a couple, gets to his 3rdfifty in this edition, 8th overall, Gayle continues to rock

12.2 Azhar Mahmood to de Villiers, 1 run, a high full toss outside off, de Villiers thumps it to sweeper cover

12.1 Azhar Mahmood to de Villiers, no run, de Villiers tried his lap shot there, but Mahmood, being the wily customer that he is bowls this delivery on a short of length and wide outside off, de Villiers attempts the paddle but gets hit on the body

11.6 Harmeet Singh to de Villiers, 1 run, good length ball just outside off, de Villiers whips it to deep mid wicket, 102 kmph was the speed in that delivery

11.5 Harmeet Singh to Gayle, 1 run, another yorker length delivery on the off stump, Gayle squeezes it out to cover

11.4 Harmeet Singh to de Villiers, 1 run, the bouncer on the stumps, de Villiers gets on top of the bounce and pulls it to deep square leg

11.3 Harmeet Singh to Gayle, 1 run, this normal seam up delivery is on a yorker length just outside off, Gayle jams it out to long off, HD Ackermann on air points out that Harmeet is bowling too many slower deliveries

11.2 Harmeet Singh to Gayle, FOUR, a juicy full toss outside off and Gayle will not miss out on those, he latches onto it and thrashes it to wide long off, the fielder puts in the dive but he cannot get to it

10.6 Azhar Mahmood to Gayle, 1 run, low full toss outside off, Gayle carves it to cover where David Hussey dives to his right and keeps it down to just a single

10.5 Azhar Mahmood to de Villiers, 1 run, to mid wicket, good length ball angled in on middle and off, de Villiers turns it to mid wicket for an easy single, the fifty partnership is up

10.4 Azhar Mahmood to Gayle, 1 run, pitched up just outside off, driven to long off, this was the normal seam-up delivery

10.3 Azhar Mahmood to Gayle, no run, another back of the hand slower delivery, Mahmood is giving Gayle no pace to work with, Gayle drives it to extra cover but straight to the fielder

10.2 Azhar Mahmood to Gayle, no run, the back of the hand slower delivery from Mahmood, lands it full and just outside off, Gayle drives it to cover

10.1 Azhar Mahmood to de Villiers, 1 run, back of a length delivery on the middle and leg stump, de Villiers punches it uppishly and the ball rolls to long on

Azhar Mahmood, right-arm fast medium, comes into the attack

9.6 Harmeet Singh to de Villiers, 1 run, this leg break is full and on the middle and leg stump, de Villiers works it to deep mid wicket

9.5 Harmeet Singh to de Villiers, no run, almost a run-out, full ball just outside off, de Villiers dabs it to point and he calls for a quick single, Gayle responds but decides against it, de Villiers turns back as Marsh runs in and throws it to the keeper, de Villiers puts in the dive and makes it in the nick of time, close call for de Villiers

9.4 Harmeet Singh to de Villiers, 2 runs, the slow bouncer this time, Harmeet is trying everything here, de Villiers moves to the off side and gets on top of the bounce to swat it to backward square leg for a couple

9.3 Harmeet Singh to de Villiers, FOUR, majestic from de Villiers, full ball on the stumps and it is the seam-up delivery, in the case of Harmeet, his stock delivery, de Villiers smokes it to the long on boundary

9.2 Harmeet Singh to de Villiers, FOUR, poor line from Harmeet, he lands this leg break short and it cuts away outside off, de Villiers sizes it up and wallops it to the deep extra cover fence

9.1 Harmeet Singh to Gayle, 1 run, low full toss just outside off, Gayle thumps it past Harmeet and it goes to long on, but the fielder moves to his right and stops it

Strategic time-out. Punjab have done really well in this period. Awana was superb but the problem for Punjab is that, Gayle is playing sensibly. Till he is there at the crease, Bangalore still have a chance.

8.6 Chawla to Gayle, 1 run, quick and full ball on leg stump, Gayle works it to deep mid wicket

8.5 Chawla to Gayle, SIX, Gayle Airways has taken off finally at Mohali, flighted delivery but too full on the off stump, Gayle gets underneath the delivery and smokes it straight down the ground, it thuds into the sightscreen and this is the first maximum for Gayle in this match

8.4 Chawla to de Villiers, 1 run, this delivery is angled in on the middle and leg stump and it breaks away slowly, de Villiers pushes it to deep point but only a single results

8.3 Chawla to Gayle, 1 run, tossed up delivery on the pads, Gayle clips it to deep mid wicket

8.2 Chawla to de Villiers, 1 run, flighted delivery and given a lot more air just outside off, de Villiers drives it to sweeper cover

8.1 Chawla to de Villiers, 2 runs, flatter ball on the middle and leg stump, de Villiers works it into the gap at deep mid wicket for a comfortable brace

7.5 Harmeet Singh to Gayle, 2 runs, this leg break cuts back into Gayle on the middle and leg stump, Gayle works it to backward square leg, the fielder slides to his right but he cannot get there, it rolls to the deep where Valthaty runs to his left and keeps it down to a couple

7.4 Harmeet Singh to de Villiers, 1 run, this full ball skids through just outside off, de Villiers eases it to long off

7.3 Harmeet Singh to Gayle, 1 run, full ball outside off, Gayle drives it to long off

7.2 Harmeet Singh to Gayle, 2 runs, the leg cutter is unveiled by Harmeet, this one is on the middle and leg stump, Gayle works it to backward square leg for a couple

7.1 Harmeet Singh to de Villiers, 1 run, de Villiers almost fell for the trap, Harmeet floats a full seam up delivery on the middle and leg stump, de Villiers walks to the off side and looks to work it to the leg side, gets a leading edge that rolls to long off

Harmeet Singh, comes into the attack

The fastest leg spin bowler in India, comes into the attack, Harmeet Singh bowls more back of the hand deliveries than his normal deliveries.

6.6 Chawla to Gayle, no run, Chawla is just bowling it flatter and flatter, this delivery is on middle and Gayle calmly defends it

6.4 Chawla to de Villiers, 1 run, loopy delivery angling in on the middle and leg stump, de Villiers closes the bat face and works it to deep mid wicket

6.3 Chawla to Gayle, 1 run, this flatter delivery lands on a good length but it is on the pads, Gayle nudges it to deep mid wicket

6.2 Chawla to Gayle, no run, Chawla pushes this quicker ball through on the middle and leg stump, Gayle defends it back to the bowler

6.1 Chawla to de Villiers, 1 run, flatter delivery on the off stump, de Villiers pushes it to sweeper cover

Piyush Chawla, right-arm leg break, comes into the attack

5.6 Awana to Gayle, no run, good length ball on leg stump, Gayle looks to tickle it to fine leg, the ball brushes the thigh pad and Saini moves to his right to take it, muted appeal from Awana for a catch, but there was clearly no bat involved

5.5 Awana to Gayle, FOUR, sublime timing from Gayle, overpitched delivery from Awana just outside off, Gayle laces the drive past cover and the ball screams away to the deep extra cover boundary, that looked like a mere push, but the timing was awesome on that shot

5.4 Awana to Gayle, FOUR, pitched up delivery just outside off, Gayle looks to drill it through cover, gets an outside edge and the ball races away to the third man fence

5.3 Awana to de Villiers, 3 runs, back of a length delivery outside off, de Villiers punches this crisply to cover, Miller dives to his left and gets a hand to it, but the ball stills races across this outfield, it rolls to deep extra cover as Valthaty runs after it and stops it just inside the ropes, saves a run, superb effort from Valthaty

5.2 Awana to de Villiers, no run, good length ball just outside off, de Villiers stays back and punches it to mid off

AB de Villiers, right handed bat, comes to the crease

5.1 Awana to Saurabh Tiwary, out Caught by Saini!! This is a poor shot from Tiwary. He walks down the track and Awana drags this delivery short and close to the body, it skids onto Tiwary who attempts the pull shot but he fails to control it, gets a tame top edge that lobs behind the wicket, Saini runs in and takes the catch, poor stuff this from Tiwary and Awana continues to have a great time with the ball. Saurabh Tiwary c Saini b Awana 4(7)

Awana to Saurabh Tiwary, THATS OUT!! Caught!!

4.6 Praveen Kumar to Saurabh Tiwary, 1 run, full ball and angled in on the pads, Tiwary closes the bat face and flicks it to deep mid wicket, subdued start so far for Bangalore

4.5 Praveen Kumar to Gayle, 3 runs, PK again strays onto the pads of Gayle, he neatly clips it to long leg, Harmeet Singh gives chase and slides to save a run for the team

4.4 Praveen Kumar to Saurabh Tiwary, 1 run, short of length ball speared in on the middle and leg stump, Tiwary works it to mid wicket

4.3 Praveen Kumar to Saurabh Tiwary, no run, PK comes round the wicket and slants in a full ball outside off, Tiwary lets it go

4.2 Praveen Kumar to Gayle, 1 run, full and slower delivery on the pads, Gayle takes one hand off the bat as he nudges it to square leg

3.6 Awana to Gayle, no run, good length ball on the stumps, Gayle again charges down the track and looks to swing it over mid wicket, he fails to make connection and the keeper collects it

3.5 Awana to Gayle, no run, fuller length ball just outside off, Gayle drives it to mid off, Tiwary wanted the single but was sent back by Gayle

3.4 Awana to Gayle, no run, Gayle charges down the track and Awana spots him coming, he hurls this short and it goes high over Gayle's head, he backs out of the shot and lets it go, one bouncer signalled in the over from the square leg umpire

3.3 Awana to Gayle, no run, Awana keeps the length of this delivery short and on middle, Gayle defends it to mid off

3.2 Awana to Saurabh Tiwary, 1 run, good length ball just on the off stump, Tiwary turns it to mid wicket

3.1 Awana to Saurabh Tiwary, no run, full and straight delivery on the off stump, Tiwary defends it

2.6 Praveen Kumar to Gayle, no run, full and slower delivery on the stumps, Gayle defends it back to the bowler

2.5 Praveen Kumar to Gayle, no run, stifled shout for an LBW from PK but not given, good length ball and it moves in a touch on the middle and leg stump, Gayle plays inside the line and gets rapped on the pads, but the ball was pitching just outside the line of leg stump

2.4 Praveen Kumar to Gayle, no run, in the air but safe, back of a length delivery and it veers away, Gayle looks to push at it and he takes one hand off the bat, the ball takes the edge and lobs to backward point, Marsh dives to his right but the ball falls just in front of him, Ravi Shastri, on air, thought that it was a catch, but he realizes that the ball bounces just in front of Marsh

2.3 Praveen Kumar to Gayle, FOUR, PK sprays this length delivery on the pads of Gayle, he neatly clips it to deep backward square leg, the ball is racing along this turf as Mandeep Singh puts in the dive to his left, but he cannot stop it

2.2 Praveen Kumar to Gayle, FOUR, just a bit of width and Gayle has punished it, short delivery outside off, Gayle watches the ball till the last minute and square cuts it to the deep point fence

2.1 Praveen Kumar to Gayle, no run, full ball just outside off, driven to mid off

2.1 Praveen Kumar to Gayle, wide, length ball but he slides it down the leg side, no swing on that as Gayle lets it go, another wide from PK

Saurabh Tiwary, left handed bat, comes to the crease

The hero of the previous match, Saurabh Tiwary, has a big job on his hands. His last ball six helped Bangalore avoid defeat against Pune. Now, he has to build an innings, something he did well for Mumbai in the past.

1.6 Awana to Virat Kohli, out Caught by Shaun Marsh!! What an over this is from Awana. Kohli is not having a good time in this tournament. Full delivery just outside the off stump, it moves away a tad as Kohli gets forward and looks to drive at it, gets a leading edge as the ball lobs to point, Marsh leaps to his right and plucks the catch with both hands, the umpires wanted to check for the no-ball but Awana's front foot is well behind the popping crease, Kohli has to go. Virat Kohli c Shaun Marsh b Awana 4(4) [4s-1]

Awana to Virat Kohli, THATS OUT!! Caught!!

1.5 Awana to Virat Kohli, no run, short ball outside off, Kohli goes on the backfoot and punches it to cover, Miller slides to his left and stops the batsman from taking a single

1.4 Awana to Virat Kohli, no run, pitched up delivery just outside off, Kohli gets forward and defends it to mid off

1.3 Awana to Virat Kohli, FOUR, streaky way to get off the mark, short of length ball and it straightens a bit, extra bounce on that delivery as Kohli pushes at it, gets an outside edge and the ball races away to the third man fence

Virat Kohli, right handed bat, comes to the crease

1.2 Awana to Agarwal, out Lbw!! Awana strikes immediately. Good length ball angling in on the stumps and it goes straight on, Agarwal plays down the wrong line and gets hit flush on the front pad, Awana appeals and the umpire immediately gives it out, that was probably hitting middle and leg stump. Agarwal lbw b Awana 1(3)

Awana to Agarwal, THATS OUT!! Lbw!!

1.1 Awana to Gayle, 1 run, Awana starts off with a back of a length delivery on the pads, Gayle clips it to deep mid wicket

Parvinder Awana, right-arm medium, comes into the attack

0.6 Praveen Kumar to Gayle, 1 run, short of length ball and it cuts away slowly just outside off, Gayle dabs it to mid off and he gets off the mark

0.6 Praveen Kumar to Gayle, wide, good length ball but he slides it down the leg side, Gayle lets it go and Saini collects it, poor line and the umpire signals a wide

0.5 Praveen Kumar to Gayle, no run, PK comes round the wicket now, he floats a full ball that curls away a bit outside off, Gayle drives it to cover but he cannot get it past the fielder

0.4 Praveen Kumar to Gayle, no run, length ball and it skids on after pitching, Gayle defends it back to the bowler

0.3 Praveen Kumar to Gayle, no run, superb ball from PK, he pitches this delivery full on the middle and leg stump line, it swerves away sharply as Gayle has a feel for it and the ball goes past the edge

Praveen Kumar is yet to get a wicket in this edition of the tournament. Gayle has hit the most sixes in the history of the tournament. The keeper is standing upto the stumps now.

0.2 Praveen Kumar to Agarwal, 1 run, back of a length delivery and it goes straight on outside off, Agarwal plays slightly away from the body and dabs at it, gets a thick inside edge that rolls to square leg

0.1 Praveen Kumar to Agarwal, no run, some swing immediately for PK, good length ball and it snakes back into Agarwal, he pushes it to cover

Agarwal and Gayle are at the crease. Agarwal is on strike. Praveen Kumar will open the attack

Right, we are all set to begin. Chris Gayle and Mayank Agarwal are striding out to the middle. We are all set for an exciting chase. Will Mohali witness the Gayle storm today? Sid V here to take you through for the Bangalore run-chase.

Mahmood: We have got a good total on the board. Hopefully we can maintain a good line and length and defend this total. If we can get Gayle early then it will be a good start since he is a key wicket but even apart from him they have a good batting line up.

That ends the innings then and Punjab who had a slightly slow start have finished in a flourish. In the absence of Gilchrist the top order looked quite out of sorts and failed to fire with debutant Saini and Valthaty not troubling the scorers much. It was the skipper Hussey then who rescued the innings and he was helped by Shaun Marsh. Once the two departed though it was Mahmood who went ballistic and hammered the bowlers to all parts of the ground. So Punjab have 163 on the board, a total that should be a teasing one for the opposition. Do join us shortly for the chase

19.6 Vinay Kumar to Chawla, 1 run, slower one on middle and leg. Chawla goes for the slog but is into his shot too early and hence gets an inside edge that goes down to backward square leg for a single

19.5 Vinay Kumar to Chawla, 2 runs, short delivery angled in on middle and leg. Chawla heaves it away to deep mid wicket for a couple

Vinay Kumar decides to pull out of the ball as he loses his footing. Chawla was already miles outside the off stump perhaps looking to go for a premeditated scoop

19.4 Vinay Kumar to Chawla, FOUR, slower bouncer on middle and leg. Chawla spots it and pulls it away to deep square leg for a boundary

19.3 Vinay Kumar to Azhar Mahmood, 1 run, slightly fuller on middle and leg. Azhar Mahmood drives it to long on for a single

19.2 Vinay Kumar to Azhar Mahmood, SIX, amazing shot! Short delivery on the off stump. Azhar Mahmood flat bats it with immense power and the ball just sails over the ropes and crashes into the sight screen

Piyush Chawla, left handed bat, comes to the crease

19.1 Vinay Kumar to Mandeep Singh, out Caught by Virat Kohli!!Slower one does the trick! This came out from the side of the hand. Mandeep Singh tries to go for the big hit over the man at long off. He gets the height but fails to get the distance and Kohli the man there gets under it and takes it quite comfortably. Mandeep Singh c Virat Kohli b Vinay Kumar 20(15)

Vinay Kumar to Mandeep Singh, THATS OUT!! Caught!!

18.6 Zaheer to Mandeep Singh, 1 run, full on middle. Mandeep Singh drives it to long on for a single

18.5 Zaheer to Mandeep Singh, 2 runs, short ball angled in to the right hander. Mandeep Singh heaves it away in the air and the ball falls in the vacant space at deep mid wicket

18.4 Zaheer to Mandeep Singh, 2 runs, short delivery at the head. Mandeep Singh mistimes the pull and it lands between three fielders at fine leg. Bad throw back to Zaheer who stops it and gives a glare to the fielder since there was no one backing up

18.3 Zaheer to Azhar Mahmood, 1 run, length ball on middle and leg. Azhar Mahmood drives it to long on

18.2 Zaheer to Mandeep Singh, 3 runs, dropped! Tough chance that. Length delivery on middle and leg. Mandeep Singh tries to heave it away to the on side but miscues the shot. The ball goes high in the air and falls just short of Agarwal at long on who puts in a dive to catch it. He ends up conceeding two extra runs owing to that effort

18.1 Zaheer to Azhar Mahmood, 1 run, short outside the off stump. Azhar Mahmood flat bats it between extra cover and long off for a single. There was a chance for two as Vettori missed the ball as he tried to dive and stop it but Tiwary behind him backed up well and ensured that the scoring was restricted to just one

Zaheer Khan [3.0-0-15-2] is back into the attack

17.6 Vinay Kumar to Azhar Mahmood, 1 run, back of the hand slower delivery outside the off stump. Azhar Mahmood thought of leaving it but eventually ended up reaching out for it and cut it to point. Had he left it then it would have been a wide

17.5 Vinay Kumar to Azhar Mahmood, FOUR, Azhar Mahmood is looking dangerous now! Short outside the off stump. Azhar Mahmood cuts it away with immense power. The ball goes in the air and crosses the ropes at third man after a couple of bounces

17.4 Vinay Kumar to Azhar Mahmood, 2 runs, length delivery on the off stump. Azhar Mahmood gives it a whack over the infield and the ball goes to deep extra cover for a couple

17.3 Vinay Kumar to Azhar Mahmood, FOUR, delicate slice from Azhar Mahmood! Low full toss outside the off stump. Azhar Mahmood waits on it, opens the face of the bat and slices it very late to third man for a boundary

17.2 Vinay Kumar to Mandeep Singh, 1 run, good length delivery on the off stump. Mandeep Singh taps it to cover and scampers through for a single

17.1 Vinay Kumar to Mandeep Singh, 2 runs, short outside the off stump. Mandeep Singh cuts it away to deep backward point for a couple

Vinay Kumar [2.0-0-12-0] is back into the attack

16.6 Harshal Patel to Azhar Mahmood, SIX, huge strike this from Azhar Mahmood! Fuller on middle and leg. Azhar Mahmood gets under that delivery and swings it across the line in the air over the fence at backward square leg for a maximum!

16.5 Harshal Patel to Azhar Mahmood, FOUR, good strike from Azhar Mahmood! Pitched up on the off stump. Azhar Mahmood gets onto the front foot and just lofts it over the infield. The ball goes over the ropes between extra cover and long off after one bounce

16.4 Harshal Patel to Mandeep Singh, leg byes, 1 run, short delivery angled in to the right hander. Mandeep Singh tries to pull it away but misses and gets hit on his shoulder. The ball goes to point for a single

16.3 Harshal Patel to Azhar Mahmood, 1 run, slightly fuller on middle and leg. Azhar Mahmood heaves it away to fine leg for a single

16.2 Harshal Patel to Azhar Mahmood, no run, length delivery angled in on the off stump. Azhar Mahmood defends it back to the bowler

16.1 Harshal Patel to Mandeep Singh, 1 run, angled in on middle and leg. Mandeep Singh flicks it away to mid wicket for a single

Azhar Mahmood is a British Citizen who is playing in the IPL but isn't it unfortunate that a Pakistani is amongst the commentary team and amongst the umpires but not amongst the players?

15.6 Vettori to Mandeep Singh, 1 run, tossed up this time on middle and leg. Mandeep Singh flicks it away to deep mid wicket. Mandeep Singh thinks about a second but is sent back by his partner

15.5 Vettori to Azhar Mahmood, 1 run, outside the off stump again. Azhar Mahmood pushes it to point for a single

15.4 Vettori to Mandeep Singh, 1 run, flatter this time outside the off stump. Mandeep Singh cuts it away to deep backward point

15.3 Vettori to Mandeep Singh, 2 runs, slightly short outside the off stump. Mandeep Singh cuts it hard and the ball goes past Gayle at point who doesn't bend low enough

15.1 Vettori to Mandeep Singh, 1 run, flighted on the pads. Mandeep Singh flicks it away to short fine leg for a quick single

Daniel Vettori [3.0-0-17-0] is back into the attack

Azhar Mahmood, right handed bat, comes to the crease

14.6 Harshal Patel to David Hussey, out Bowled!! The change of pace has done the trick for Harshal Patel! Off cutter bowled a little short. David Hussey comes down the track and tries to pull it across the line but gets an inside edge and the ball goes back to knock over the middle stump. Harshal Patel looks absoulutely thrilled with that wicket and why not, he has dismissed the opposing skipper. David Hussey b Harshal Patel 41(34) [4s-4]

Harshal Patel to David Hussey, THATS OUT!! Bowled!!

14.5 Harshal Patel to David Hussey, FOUR, poor line from Harshal Patel in this over and finally it has got the treatment it deserves. Length delivery angled in to the pads. David Hussey tucks it away to fine leg for a boundary

14.4 Harshal Patel to Mandeep Singh, 1 run, short of a length delivery angled in to the right hander. Mandeep Singh pulls it away quite comfortably to fine leg for a single

14.3 Harshal Patel to Mandeep Singh, 2 runs, slightly short on middle and leg. Mandeep Singh pulls it away to fine leg for a couple

14.2 Harshal Patel to David Hussey, 1 run, David Hussey backs away and miscues it to long on

14.1 Harshal Patel to David Hussey, 2 runs, dropped! David Hussey came down the track and slashed at a delivery outside the off stump. it went high in the air. Gayle ran back from backward point to third man and tried taking it over his head but spilled it. He should have let third man take that one

14.1 Harshal Patel to David Hussey, wide, angled down the leg side. The umpire signals a wide

Mandeep Singh, right handed bat, comes to the crease

Time for the strategic time out

13.6 McDonald to David Miller, out Caught by Zaheer!! A good piece of fielding by Zaheer Khan, quite surprising I must say! Back of a length on the off stump. David Miller backs away and tries to drive it over the infield. Zaheer at cover times his jump to perfection and latches on to it. David Miller c Zaheer b McDonald 8(13)

McDonald to David Miller, THATS OUT!! Caught!!

13.5 McDonald to David Hussey, 1 run, back of a length on the off stump. David Hussey opens the face of the bat and guides it to backward point

13.4 McDonald to David Miller, 1 run, fuller length delivery angled in to the pads. David Miller tucks it away to short fine leg for a single

13.3 McDonald to David Hussey, 1 run, pitched up on the off stump. David Hussey gets across and drives it with a flick of the wrists straight down the ground for a single

13.2 McDonald to David Miller, 1 run, slower one angled in to the off stump from around the wicket. David Miller punches it to long off

13.1 McDonald to David Hussey, 1 run, full on leg stump. David Hussey flicks it away to long on for a single

Andrew McDonald [3.0-0-20-1] is back into the attack

12.6 Harshal Patel to David Miller, no run, length delivery on middle. David Miller gets onto the front foot and pushes it back to the bowler with an angled bat

12.5 Harshal Patel to David Hussey, 1 run, pitched up on middle and leg. David Hussey gets onto the front foot and drives it along the ground to long on

12.4 Harshal Patel to David Hussey, FOUR, poor piece of bowling, David Hussey puts it away with ease. Short on the off stump. David Hussey pulls it across the line to backward square leg for a boundary

12.3 Harshal Patel to David Hussey, 2 runs, short delivery on the off stump. David Hussey pulls it away with some force to deep mid wicket for a couple

12.2 Harshal Patel to David Hussey, no run, length delivery on the off stump. David Hussey punches it back to the bowler

12.1 Harshal Patel to David Miller, leg byes, 1 run, back of a length delivery on the pads. David Miller tries to flick it away but misses. The ball strikes his pad and goes to square leg for a single

Harshal Patel [1.0-0-14-0] is back into the attack

11.6 Vettori to David Miller, 1 run, David Miller comes down the track to a ball on middle and flicks it to deep square leg for a comfortable single

11.5 Vettori to David Hussey, 1 run, on middle and leg. David Hussey flicks it off the pads to square leg

11.4 Vettori to David Miller, 1 run, outside the off stump. The ball keeps low and David Miller dabs it square of the wicket for a single

11.4 Vettori to David Miller, wide, Vettori slides this one down the leg side

11.3 Vettori to David Hussey, 1 run, on the off stump. David Hussey pushes it to long off

11.2 Vettori to David Hussey, no run, tossed up on the off stump. David Hussey drives it to the man at cover

11.1 Vettori to David Miller, leg byes, 1 run, pitches just in line with leg stump. David Miller employs the reverse sweep but misses and gets struck on the pads. Vettori appeals fro lbw but the umpire doesn't give it. That looked very close

10.6 McDonald to David Hussey, no run, slightly short outside the off stump. David Hussey cuts it straight to the man at backward point

10.5 McDonald to David Miller, 1 run, slower one on the off stump. David Miller opens the face of the bat and runs it down to short third man

10.4 McDonald to David Hussey, 1 run, slightly fuller this time on middle and leg. David Hussey drives it to long on

10.3 McDonald to David Miller, byes, 1 run, slightly short outside the off stump. David Miller tries to cut it away but misses. The keeper fumbles which allows the batsmen to pick up a single

10.2 McDonald to David Hussey, 1 run, back of a length delivery on the off stump. David Hussey flicks it to mid wicket for a quick single

10.1 McDonald to David Miller, 1 run, slower one on leg stump. David Miller gets onto the front foot and clips it away to deep square leg

9.6 Vettori to David Hussey, no run, flighted on middle. David Hussey tries to work it to the on side but the ball goes off the leading edge towards point

9.5 Vettori to David Hussey, no run, on the off stump. David Hussey drives it back to the bowler

9.4 Vettori to David Hussey, 2 runs, sliding in on middle and leg. David Hussey gets onto the front foot and flicks it away to deep square leg

9.3 Vettori to David Hussey, no run, David Hussey pushes it off the front foot to the man at cover

9.2 Vettori to David Hussey, FOUR, David Hussey flashes hard and gets the result. Slightly short outside the off stump, David Hussey slashes at it and the ball goes off the outer half of the bat in the air to square third man for a boundary

9.1 Vettori to David Hussey, no run, tossed up on the off stump. David Hussey pushes it back to the bowler with an angled bat

Time for the strategic time out now

8.6 McDonald to David Hussey, 1 run, slightly fuller on the off stump. David Hussey drives it off the front foot to long off for a single

8.5 McDonald to David Hussey, 2 runs, David Hussey flicks it wide of the man at mid-on and the ball goes between midwicket and long on for a couple

8.5 McDonald to David Hussey, wide, angled down the leg side from McDonald

8.4 McDonald to David Miller, 1 run, length ball on the off stump. David Miller pushes at it off the front foot and the ball goes off the outside edge to third man

8.3 McDonald to David Hussey, leg byes, 1 run, angled in on the pads. David Hussey tries to turn it away to fine leg but misses and gets struck on the pads. There's a stifled appeal from McDonald but the umpire says not out and the batsmen pinch a single

8.2 McDonald to David Miller, 1 run, back of a length delivery on the off stump. David Miller punches it off the back foot to cover point for a single

David Miller, left handed bat, comes to the crease

8.1 McDonald to Shaun Marsh, out Bowled!! Back of a length delivery angled in to the off stump from around the wicket. Shaun Marsh tries to cut it but it is too close to cut and the ball goes past the outside edge and crashes in to the off stump. Shaun Marsh looks dejected but he only has himself to blame for playing a shot like that. Shaun Marsh b McDonald 26(17) [4s-3 6s-1]

McDonald to Shaun Marsh, THATS OUT!! Bowled!!

7.6 Vettori to Shaun Marsh, 1 run, slightly flatter on middle and leg. Shaun Marsh whips it off his pads to fine leg for a single

7.5 Vettori to David Hussey, 1 run, flighted on middle and leg. David Hussey flicks it away to long on

7.4 Vettori to David Hussey, no run, tossed up on the off stump. David Hussey punches it off the back foot to the man at cover

7.3 Vettori to Shaun Marsh, 1 run, on the off stump. Shaun Marsh drives it off the front foot to long off

7.2 Vettori to David Hussey, 1 run, tossed up outside the off stump. David Hussey pushes at it off the front foot but gets the inside edge that goes to short fine leg for a single

7.1 Vettori to David Hussey, 2 runs, flighted on middle and leg. David Hussey whips it away to mid wicket and runs hard to complete the second

Daniel Vettori, left-arm orthodox, comes into the attack

6.6 McDonald to Shaun Marsh, SIX, full on middle and leg. Shaun Marsh gets down on one knee and lofts it over the bowler's head. For a moment it looks like the ball might end up in a fielder's hand but eventually it goes straight down the ground for a maximum

6.5 McDonald to Shaun Marsh, no run, slower one on middle and leg. Shaun Marsh drives it off the front foot to the man at mid-on

6.4 McDonald to David Hussey, 1 run, back of a length delivery on middle. David Hussey pushes it with an angled bat to mid on

6.3 McDonald to Shaun Marsh, 1 run, length ball outside the off stump. Shaun Marsh flat bats it to long off for a single

6.2 McDonald to David Hussey, 1 run, pitched up on the off stump. David Hussey drives it down the ground to long on for a single

6.1 McDonald to Shaun Marsh, 1 run, length delivery outside the off stump. Shaun Marsh backs away and cuts it to third man

Andrew McDonald, right-arm fast medium, comes into the attack

5.6 Harshal Patel to David Hussey, FOUR, nice shot from David Hussey! Full on middle and off. David Hussey gets onto the front foot and drives through the line of the delivery to send the ball straight down the ground for a boundary

5.5 Harshal Patel to Shaun Marsh, 1 run, back of a length delivery outside the off stump. Shaun Marsh dabs it down to third man

5.4 Harshal Patel to Shaun Marsh, no run, off cutter this time from Harshal Patel. Pitches on off and cuts away from the left hander. Shaun Marsh tries to run it down to third man but gets beaten by the lack of pace

5.3 Harshal Patel to Shaun Marsh, FOUR, sublime drive from Shaun Marsh! Pitched up just outside the off stump. Shaun Marsh gets onto the front foot and drives it between extra cover and mid off for another boundary

5.2 Harshal Patel to Shaun Marsh, FOUR, wonderful timing! Back of a length outside the off stump. Shaun Marsh waits on it and square cuts it to deep backward point for a boundary. Shaun Marsh used the pace of that delivery to good effect

5.1 Harshal Patel to David Hussey, 1 run, fuller length delivery on middle and leg. David Hussey flicks it away to fine leg for a single

Harshal Patel, right-arm medium, comes into the attack

David Hussey, right handed bat, comes to the crease

4.6 Zaheer to Valthaty, out Caught by de Villiers!! Valthaty's struggle with the bat finally comes to an end! Full on the off stump. Valthaty tries to go for the big shot and drives it high in the air. The ball goes miles in height but doesn't go the distance. de Villers tracks back from mid-off to get under it and completes the catch. Valthaty c de Villiers b Zaheer 6(12) [4s-1]

Zaheer to Valthaty, THATS OUT!! Caught!!

4.5 Zaheer to Valthaty, no run, fuller length delivery on the off stump. Valthaty gets onto the front foot and tries to drive but ends up slicing it and the ball lands short of the man at cover

4.4 Zaheer to Valthaty, no run, back of a length delivery on the off stump. Valthaty pulls it away to the man at mid-on

4.3 Zaheer to Valthaty, FOUR, better shot this time from Valthaty. Slightly fuller outside the off stump. Valthaty gets onto the front foot and drives it with some force to sweeper cover for a boundary

4.2 Zaheer to Valthaty, 2 runs, length delivery outside the off stump. Valthaty drives it rather uppishly over the infield to sweeper cover for a couple

4.1 Zaheer to Shaun Marsh, 1 run, length delivery angled in to middle and leg. Shaun Marsh taps it off his pads to square leg

3.6 Vinay Kumar to Valthaty, no run, bouncer from Vinay Kumar on middle and off. Valthaty tries to pull across the line but gets beaten by the height of the delivery

3.5 Vinay Kumar to Valthaty, no run, short on middle and off. Valthaty pulls it away to the man at mid-wicket

3.4 Vinay Kumar to Shaun Marsh, 1 run, on the off stump. Shaun Marsh taps it to short cover and scampers through for a single

3.3 Vinay Kumar to Shaun Marsh, FOUR, superb cover drive! Full outside the off stump. Shaun Marsh gets onto the front foot and drives it with some power through the gap on the off side to sweeper cover for a boundary

3.2 Vinay Kumar to Shaun Marsh, no run, length delivery on the off stump. Shaun Marsh pushes it to the man at cover point

3.1 Vinay Kumar to Shaun Marsh, no run, full outside the off stump. Shaun Marsh steers it to the man at cover point

With Valthaty not in good touch have Punjab missed a trick by not asking Mahmood to open the innings and make use of the first six overs?

2.6 Zaheer to Valthaty, no run, back of a length delivery outside the off stump. Valthaty punches it to the man at cover point

2.5 Zaheer to Shaun Marsh, 1 run, pitched up on off. Pitches and moves away slightly from the left hander. Shaun Marsh looks to work it away to the on side but gets squared up and the ball goes off the outer half of the bat to mid off

Shaun Marsh, left handed bat, comes to the crease

2.4 Zaheer to Saini, out Bowled!! The debutant departs without really impressing. Length ball outside the off stump. Saini backs away, comes down the track and tries to play a half cut and half slash but ends up getting an inside edge that goes back onto the stumps. Saini looks disgusted with himself and screams in anguish. Zaheer though has a wry smile on his face. Saini b Zaheer 14(12) [4s-1]

Zaheer to Saini, THATS OUT!! Bowled!!

2.3 Zaheer to Saini, 2 runs, short on middle. Saini swivels in his crease and pulls it away to backward square leg. Vinay Kumar at the boundary tumbles and stops the ball from going to the boundary

2.2 Zaheer to Saini, 2 runs, length delivery on the off stump. Saini backs away and tries to drive it hard through the off side. The ball goes off the inside edge to fine leg for a couple

2.1 Zaheer to Saini, no run, on middle and leg. Saini turns it away to the man at mid-wicket

Valthaty looks like a completely different player this season and for all the wrong reasons. He hasn't shown any glimpses of the form he displayed in the previous season

1.6 Vinay Kumar to Valthaty, no run, short outside the off stump. Valthaty tries to pull it away but doesn't quite pick the length and the ball goes under his bat

1.5 Vinay Kumar to Valthaty, no run, bouncer from Vinay Kumar. Short on middle, Valthaty ducks under the delivery and lets it go through to the keeper

1.4 Vinay Kumar to Valthaty, no run, pitched up a little more on middle and off. Valthaty gets onto the front foot and pushes it to the man at mid-on

1.3 Vinay Kumar to Saini, 1 run, on the off stump. Saini opens the face of the bat and taps it to backward point for a single

1.2 Vinay Kumar to Saini, FOUR, poor delivery, put away easily! Length ball on the pads. Saini whips it away with ease and the ball races away to the backward square leg fence for a boundary

1.1 Vinay Kumar to Saini, 2 runs, length delivery on middle and leg. Saini flicks it away rather uppishly to backward square leg. Harshal Patel at the boundary puts in a slide to prevent the ball from crossing the ropes

Vinay Kumar, right-arm medium, comes into the attack

0.6 Zaheer to Valthaty, no run, pitched up outside the off stump. Pitches and goes across the right hander. Valthaty pushes at it off the front foot but gets beaten by the angle. The keeper fumbles but manages to get the ball back before the batsmen think about pinching a bye

0.5 Zaheer to Saini, 1 run, length ball on the off stump. Saini taps it to cover. The fielder there misfields and allows the batsmen to cross over for a single

0.4 Zaheer to Saini, no run, back of a length delivery on the off stump. Saini waits on it, opens the face of the bat and defends it to the man at point

0.3 Zaheer to Saini, no run, back of a length on middle and leg. Saini clips it away to the man at mid-wicket

0.2 Zaheer to Saini, no run, back of a length delivery outside the off stump. Saini pushes it to cover

0.1 Zaheer to Saini, 2 runs, a stroke of luck for the debutant. Full outside off stump. Saini drives off the front foot but gets the inside edge that misses the stumps by a whisker and runs down to fine leg

Saini and Valthaty are at the crease. Saini is on strike. Zaheer will open the attack

Mandeep Singh: Not having Gilchrist is a set back but we have the players to bounce back from it. David Hussey is a good player and hopefully he will be able to do well for us today. It is our home ground so we are used to the grass on this wicket.

David Hussey: I feel sorry for Gilchrist since this is the 1st competitive game he has missed in 16 years. It gives an opportunity to debutant players Mahmood and Miller. I would have chased because of the weather. We have a great swing bowler in Praveen Kumar and we hope he does well

Vettori: There is some general talk about how many matches to win to make it to the qualifiers but once you are in a schedule where you are playing a match so often then you just tend to think about the next match. It looks like a good pitch. We are going to have a bowl. We want to make the most of the grass on this pitch. Andrew McDonald comes in for Dilshan today, we just think he is more suited to these conditions. Restricting the opposition to anything under 150 would be good.

Royal Challengers Bangalore have won the toss and elected to field

Today's battle is going to be between two sides that have struggled to stamp their authority on this tournament. Both Punjab and Bangalore are currently at the bottom half of the table and the two will be keen to register a win and build some momentum. Punjab are coming off a loss to Kolkata and will not have the services of their skipper Adam Gilchrist who is out with a hamstring injury. Bangalore on the other hand are fresh off a phenomenal win against Pune and they will certainly want to keep that sort of form going. Let's just hope that this encounter turns out to be as thrilling as Banglore's previous game because if it does turn out to be similar then we should be in for an absolute ripper! Oh and by the way let's not forget about the man to watch out for the day- right hand fast leg break, Harmeet Singh!

Preview

West Indian swashbuckler Chris Gayle's devastating form will be a cause of immense worry for the inconsistent Kings XI Punjab when they clash with Royal Challengers Bangalore in an IPL match here tomorrow.

Punjab slumped to their third defeat, first in their own backyard, when Kolkata Knight Riders beat them comprehensively by eight wickets.

Inconsistent batting has been the chief cause of concern for the Adam Gilchrist-led side, which managed only 124/7 against KKR here after electing to bat first. RCB, on the other hand, displayed sensational batting in the win over Pune Warriors in their previous match.

Gayle's sensational knock of 81 of 48, studded with eight sixes including five in a single over, helped the franchise snatch a thrilling last ball win over Warriors in Bangalore this week when they chased down a formidable 182.

Kings XI and RCB have so far played five matches each and are placed at number seven and eighth in the points table respectively, but the Bangalore side will go into this match high on confidence.

Punjab suffered two initial losses to start with and then had back-to-back wins under their belt, but slipped against KKR again, whom they had beaten only a few days back.

Inconsistent form of their top order, that includes Gilchrist, who pulled a hamstring in last night's match, has been the local franchise's main concern. The skipper is yet to hit a big knock, with yesterday's 40 being his top score.

Gilchrist's Aussie compatriot, Shaun Marsh has also not yet shown his full potential and the batting hero of last year's edition Paul Valthaty has failed miserably and may face the axe.

Punjab's batting has been revolving around Gilchrist, Marsh and David Hussey and it's the inconsistency which worries Gilchrist.

Former Pakistan all-rounder Azhar Mahmood, who now has a multi-city visa to play for Punjab, may now be included in the side soon to boost the middle order.

Punjab's bowling attack comprising English pacer Dimitri Mascarenhas, Praveen Kumar, Harmeet Bansal and Piyush Chawla has been better but has never looked lethal.

For Bangalore, Virat Kohli would be hoping that he comes good as the dashing batsman has made only 109 runs from five games that includes 57 against Chennai Super Kings at Chennai on April 12, which RCB lost despite posting a total of 205 runs on the board.

After his failure in a couple of games, AB de Villiers was back in form in the last match against Warriors making 33. His innovative stroke-playing may come in handy for the RCB.

RCB skipper Daniel Vettori, who may have got only four wickets so far, has been bowling a tight line and has been able to contain the batsmen along with Sri Lankan spin legend Muttiah Muralitharan.

However, RCB will look towards Indian strike bowler Zaheer Khan, who has so far earned five scalps, to do a better job tomorrow.

Khan's most impressive performance came in the match against Rajasthan Royals, which the latter won by massive 59 runs, in which Ajinkya Rahane had made 103 not out. The pacer had figures of 4-1-15-1 in that match.